


Save What Has Been Lost

by daring_elm



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: "I Know You're In There Somewhere" Fight, ??? - Freeform, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bad Things Happen Bingo, Crying, Multi, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Possession, Unconsciousness, injuries, this isn't a happy fic but tbf it's the bad things happen bingo what did you expect
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:46:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25247101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daring_elm/pseuds/daring_elm
Summary: Logan, Virgil and Patton could never hurt Roman. Roman doesn't seem to be on the same page.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil/Creativity | Roman/Logic | Logan/Morality | Patton
Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1829092
Comments: 4
Kudos: 45





	Save What Has Been Lost

**Author's Note:**

> yay i'm part of the bad things happen bingo!!! i'mma try to post a oneshot for this weekly, but no guarantees - life does get in the way sometimes
> 
> i'm taking requests and tracking my progress on [my tumblr](https://www.daring-elm.tumblr.com), so feel free to check it out and shoot a prompt my way!

Roman's brown eyes had never looked as cold as they did just now, staring ahead, unblinking, expressionless. He showed no reaction to Patton's horrified cry, to Virgil's grip tightening around his crowbar, to Logan's wide-eyed stare at the sword Roman held loosely at his side.

“What did you do to him?” Virgil demanded, his voice shaking with red-hot fury. “Tell me, now!” His eyes sparkled, his bandaged hands clenching to fists—he took a step forward, but the villain showed no sign of fear.

A cruel smile graced his lips as his eyes flew over Logan, standing in wordless horror, Patton, shaking with muffled sobs, and Virgil, so _barely_ clinging onto hope, before settling on Roman. “My prince,” he said, and Roman snapped to attention. “Do me a favour and get rid of these intruders.”

Roman bowed his head. “It would be my pleasure.” With those words, he unsheathed his sword and charged at Logan.

Virgil’s eyes widened. He threw himself in the way, Roman’s blade smashing against his crowbar, and a high-pitched screech rang out as steel met steel. Behind them, Patton sobbed louder. Virgil spoke through gritted teeth, “Roman, I won’t hurt you.”

“Good.” Roman pulled back his sword. Virgil nearly stumbled at the sudden loss of tension, but he snapped to attention when Roman swung at him again. Every drop of blood on Roman’s weapon was illuminated in the dim light as it flew past Virgil, barely missing his eye. “That makes it easier for me.”

Virgil yelled and pushed him, hard. Roman fell back, but quickly regained his footing—Virgil was too slow to block his attack this time. His shoulder stung as Roman’s blade slashed through his sleeve, then his skin. He grimaced.

“Go!” Virgil called to his boyfriends, praying that the lie wasn’t obvious in his tone as he promised, “I can take him!”

“We’re not leaving you alone!” Logan yelled back. He desperately looked around the room for anything he could use, but aside from the granite pillars lining the walls, it was near empty. _Shit_. With a silent apology, he left Patton’s side, running for the pillar closest to him.

Roman charged at Patton and Patton sunk to the ground, burying his face in his hands. Just before the blade could slice through his throat, Logan rammed Roman from the side and sent his sword flying. “Virgil! Now!” he commanded, and Virgil followed suit. He grabbed Roman’s wrists, wrestling them behind his back.

Roman kicked and thrashed, twisting desperately in an attempt to bash his head against Virgil’s injured arm. “Let me _go!_ ” he growled. “You _disgust_ me; I’m never going with you.”

“It’s okay, Ro.” Patton inched closer, a weak smile tugging at his lips. “It’s okay, remember us? We’re gonna help you.”

Roman spat at him. Patton flinched back with a choked gasp and Virgil tightened his grip. “I don’t want your help.”

“He has to be in there.” Logan sounded cool, collected, but Virgil could see the pain in his eyes (and he knew that Roman could too). “We need something that will trigger positive memories.”

Maybe Logan was onto something.

“Disney,” Virgil said. “Rainbows. Way more pens than any human being needs.”

Roman hissed. “You’re wasting your time.”

“You have to— _slumber parties!_ ” Patton tried. “Or making breakfast together, and somehow, we always burn the first batch of pancakes—or—” His voice died, and Virgil felt his aborted sob rack through his whole body.

“Maybe… oh, this is ridiculous.” Logan chewed on his thumb, averting his eyes in thought. “But it might be worth a try.” He knelt down, his face parallel to Roman’s. “I’m sorry,” Logan whispered, then cupped Roman’s face in his hands and kissed him.

Roman’s eyes widened in shock, then closed, his face softening. Virgil held his breath—could that have been it? It was almost absurd, but so _Roman_ that, for a heartbeat, Virgil was willing to believe in the power of love.

Then Roman reeled back and bit Logan’s thumb. Logan cursed and jerked away, clenching his fist around the injury. Virgil’s grip on Roman’s wrists loosened—Roman immediately twisted out of his grasp, but before he could escape, Virgil rammed his knuckles behind Roman’s ear and the world went dark.

* * *

Patton carded his fingers through Roman’s hair. He twisted curl after curl around his fingers, gently setting them in place and taking care to avoid the bump at the side of Roman’s head where Virgil had knocked him out. Like this, Roman was so calm, so _peaceful_ , that Patton could almost forget the hatred in his eyes.

He brushed his knuckles over Roman’s cheek, over faint freckles and faded acne marks, over the thick scar on his forehead he had gotten after his brother dared him to jump out of a tree when they were five. Logan had spent all evening tending to the gash in Virgil’s shoulder and Patton was scared it would leave a just as permanent mark. Once he was back to normal, Roman would despise himself for having caused it.

_What if Roman never came back?_

Patton shook his head. No, Roman _had_ to come back, because Patton didn't know what to do without him. He _needed_ Roman; he needed someone to dance with him while they did the dishes, someone to talk Logan into onesie-and-cuddle-pile movie nights, someone to sing Disney songs to Virgil when his mind got too loud to bear.

Patton sighed. He kept playing with Roman's hair, slowly, gently, starting to sing.

_"Flower gleam and glow; let your power shine."_

Thinking Roman would be brought back by Disney magic alone was stupid; Patton _knew_ it was stupid, but he didn't know what else to do.

_"Make the clock reverse; bring back what once was mine."_

Patton's voice wavered on the last verse, ending in a choked whisper. As he cleared his throat from the building tears, he wasn’t surprised to see Roman still fast asleep in his lap. He hadn’t really expected that would wake him up in the first place, but Patton couldn’t help but be disappointed anyway.

There was a knock at the door. Patton looked up as Virgil pushed it open, keeping his bandaged shoulder still while he sat down at the foot of the bed. “How is he?”

“He’s…” Patton’s fingers brushed over Roman’s wound again. He winced and hoped Virgil didn’t notice. “...asleep. Still.”

Virgil nodded absent-mindedly. “Logan’s looking for some way to get him back, something about healers and amnesia and magical hypnosis—I don’t really get it either.” He fidgeted with the hair tie around his wrist, staring at anything but Roman’s face as the room fell into silence. Normally, Roman talked in his sleep, tossed and turned, instinctively wrapped his arms around the person closest to him. It was almost scary how still he was now.

“You know this isn’t your fault, right?” Virgil asked. Patton saw him look up, but couldn’t bear to meet his eyes. In place of an affirming hum, Patton brought forth a strangled whine. Virgil sighed. “I mean it. It’s no one’s fault, not—not mine, not Logan’s, not Princey’s and _especially_ not yours. You did all you could.”

“I know.” Patton swallowed. “I just—I feel so _useless_. You know how to fight, Logan knows all this stuff about magic, and I—” He gave Virgil a pained smile. “All I can do is sit with him and sing, and not even that well.”

“What were you singing?”

Patton huffed out a quiet laugh, as if he couldn’t believe himself. “ _Heal what has been hurt; change the Fate’s design._ ”

Virgil carefully, softly joined in. He had never been a fan of singing; he found his voice too quiet, too clumsy; and had always been content leaving the singing to Roman and Patton (despite their constant encouragement to just join them, because _what was the worst that could happen?_ ). Now, he sounded shaky, unsure, but so _warm_ that the insecurity in his tone melted away. “ _Save what has been lost; bring back what once was mine, what once was mine._ ”

Roman stirred and Virgil immediately jumped up, alarmed. “I’ll get Logan; you stay here.” Patton nodded. Before he even had the chance to say goodbye, Virgil had already sped off, the door falling shut behind him.

Roman grunted, grimaced, barely lifted his head before letting it fall back on Patton’s lap. If he could feel Patton’s racing pulse or the tension in his muscles, he didn’t acknowledge it. _At least he didn’t try to kill him yet._ “Where am I?” Roman muttered, his voice rough with disuse. He squinted at Patton, cogs almost audibly turning in his mind. Patton didn’t dare breathe. “...Pat?”

Instantly, all the tension fell from Patton’s shoulders—he could have burst into tears right there. “ _Ro_.”

Roman sat up, shakily steadying himself with Patton’s help. “What happened?”

The door opened and Roman flinched violently, protectively holding an arm out in front of Patton, only to let it fall when Logan and Virgil entered. Logan gave them a worried glance. “Is he—” Smiling softly, Patton nodded.

His frown dropped into a relieved grin and Logan exhaled—letting go of a breath he had been holding for days—then crossed the room in two wide, open steps before wrapping his arms around Roman.

Roman went perfectly still.

Logan faltered. His grip loosened tentatively, the smile fading from his face—then Roman hugged him back, squeezing so tight Patton was worried about Logan’s breathing. Virgil gently took Logan’s glasses so he could bury his face in Roman’s shoulder. His voice was brittle, but Patton felt the impact through his whole body as Logan whispered, “I thought we _lost_ you.”

“I’m right here,” Roman said, gently tracing circles on Logan’s back. “It’s okay.” He let Virgil tilt his chin up to kiss him, smiling against his lips.

“Welcome home, Princey,” Virgil said. “You’re safe now.”


End file.
